Page 106 - World of Animals - Book of Sharks & Ocean Predators

Sharks & Ocean Predators
MIMIC
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OCTOPUS

The fascinating mimic octopus avoids many a danger lurking

under the water with an unbelievably clever trick

While other octopus species change their appearance stayed hidden for so long. This clever octopus changes its
to blend into the background, the mimic octopus is the appearance to that of a different animal according to what

only animal that can mimic specific animals. Even more is threatening it, taking on the appearance of an animal from
impressively, it is the first species found to mimic more which its attacker would flee. Scientists are still working hard

than one species of poisonous animal to avoid predators. to find out more about the mimic octopus, but what we know
It was only discovered in 1998, but it’s not surprising that it so far is almost beyond belief.

Nucleus

How they can

Pigmant
change their colour granules

Octopuses have pigment sacs in their skin called
chromatophores. These are linked to the visual part
of the brain and can be controlled by the octopus at
will. Chromatophores can expand to 50 times their
size, making the skin appear a lighter colour, or they
can shrink to their condensed size to make the skin
appear darker. This is how an octopus can change it’s Glial cell
colour or form patterns on its skin.

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